The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Draymond Green Show - Warriors-Mavericks block reaction, Wembanyama's DPOY case, Joel Embiid returns

Episode Date: April 3, 2024

On this episode ‘The Draymond Green Show,’ Dray explains why he’s changed his mind on San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year race. Dray also looks back at his game-sealing block to lift the Golden State Warriors over the Dallas Mavericks, and discusses why Andrew Wiggins has been so important to the Warriors lately, the upcoming matchup against the Houston Rockets, Shawn Marion’s comments about his defense, Joel Embiid’s return to the Philadelphia 76ers, Caitlin Clark’s impressive showing in Iowa’s win over Angel Reese and LSU, and much more. 00:00 - Start01:00 - Wemby’s DPOY08:00 - Win over Mavericks14:00 - Shawn Marion22:00 - Joel Embiid25:00 - Caitlin Clark Produced by: Jackson Safon #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Void in Ontario. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. See dkng.com slash B-Ball for eligibility and deposit restrictions, terms and responsible gaming resources. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green Show,

recording this the morning after a huge, huge dubs victory over the Mavericks. It's about time we won a home game. As we know, that's been a problem, road record. Pretty stellar home record, not so much. So that was a good dove for us at home. Also, crazy trip, or crazy period in the schedule, I would say, not necessarily a crazy trip, but coming off a nine-day five-game trip. to Minnesota, which started off with a loss in a game that I thought we clearly should have won,

and we just let it get away. Miami, big time win. Never easy to go there and get a dub, but that was a big time win for us. Orlando, huge win. Obviously, I got ejected from that game pretty fast, and the guys held it down. That game, which set us up for Charlotte, which is a game. we should go in and San Antonio, which Wimby is a problem, but also a game that we should win. By the way, I know I said on here a few a little while back that Wemby shouldn't be the

defensive player the year and a lot. Wemby should be the defensive player the year because he is that amazing defensively. But they just suck. And I love Coach Pop. I think I've shared that with you all before. Like, absolutely love Coach Pop. And if I'm honest, I'm still a little hurt because I didn't get a chance to hug Coach Pop in the game.

Didn't get a chance to talk to him before the game. And after the game, everything was kind of going on. I got to sign Wimby Jersey for DJ, which was absolutely exciting. One that he can hang in his bedroom. and for the next 15 to 20 years, he'll be watching arguably the best player in the league with his jersey on the wall.

And so I was very excited about that and probably a little sidetrack to get that for DJ that I didn't get a chance to hug Coach Pop and embrace him. And that's my guy. Absolutely love him. One of the golden guys got that gold together and the relationship built there

will last a light. So I'm very thankful for Coach Pop, and I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to say hi, but from a distance, and it just missed me at the end of the game. Still salty about that. Anyway, Winby is definitely the defensive player at the year. The way he impacts the game, both offense, I mean, both on the defensive end, whether it's off the ball, on the ball, it's a problem. When you start driving to the hole and, like, guys may have a layup, maybe not, and they just turn out and go the other way, that's a problem. And that's a block shot in a sense. You know, and no one will account for that.

It's like a screen. You go set on a screen. No one's going to give you an assist, but the guys wide open to knock a shot down. Wimby, you drive into the lane and get a layup, and you see Wemby and you just go the other way? That's a block shot. And so let's also talk about how many of those Wemby has this year.

We saw one last night with Christian Braun and Michael Porter Jr. end up hitting the three. unfortunately then Michael Porter Jr. hit a three. But that's a block shot. Like, and on block shot, sometimes you get the ball back, and guess what?

You get it back, you kick it out, you hit a three. Officer rebound, kick it out, hit a three. Right? Like, that's essentially the same thing. And so, and, you know, I'm, I say that, take it with a grain of salt. Obviously, team record matters.

And everybody who say team record don't matter is a lie. It definitely matters. they're not quite that good. Not quite Wimby's fault. But you kind of had to be that bad in order to get Wimby. And I think that San Antonio team has some pieces, a few pieces. Not many, but a few pieces around Wemby. And that's not counting like a Zach Collins, right?

Like, Zach Collins is a vet. He's going to be around, like, and you need good vets like that, solid. You know what you're going to get every night. But, you know, you got like KJ, Keldon, Johnson, you got Devin Vassell, Trey Jones. You know, I think, I think Trey Jones is a good point guard in this league. Not necessarily, maybe not necessarily a starter, but any good team is, you know, if you're going to have a chance to win championships, you need a really good backup. And Trey Jones is absolutely that. You know, so I think they got a few pieces around them, but they need to fill out a lot of,

other pieces and and then also figure out how do we want teams to look like what's the best look of a team around wimby you know like you look at lebron james always going to be some shooters on the floor right like over the course of his years you know you the mike millers the james james jones the jr smiths Kyle corver um the list goes on and on and on you know when they won a championship with the lakers Kyle kuzma was that shooter, you know, and so what are the teams going to look like around Wimby? And I think that's an important one, but I changed my stance. Wimby probably should be defensive player or what he's doing defensively. Do you had nine blocks last night. Like, that's against

Denver Nuggets, best team in NBA, nine blocks. Like, man, that's affecting the game. And And again, Wimby's not a liability on defense. Like, you're not just, he's not just getting blocks, you know? Like, some guys just get blocks, you know, guys come weak side, get blocks. Like, but you can pick on them. You can't really pick on Wembe and dude can switch. Like, he's 7-4 and can move his feet.

I don't know what lab he was created in, but I need to go create me a son in that lab because dude is unbelievable. And I was tired as hell after that game because with Wimby, every possession you have to like be on because the moment he gets a slight advantage, right? Like say if I relax and he duck in the pain,

guess what? You done because he's so, he gets, his angles to the rim with his lane. There's nothing you can do at that point. So with him, whether he's at the three point line, you have to be on because guess what? If he catch it and he start raising, up. Man, I had a couple contests on Wimby

threes, and I'm talking about they were monster contests. Like, I'm pretty good at contesting jump shots. That's one of my specialties on the defensive end. I come up with some blocks on threes, like, man, I had a couple monster contests on Wemby. I was nowhere near the ball. And I thought that that was very interesting. So with Wimby, at all point, at all times, no matter where he is on the floor, you have to be on. And that is tiring

as hell. And so I was exhausted. I after that game. Nonetheless, that was a big time win for us. And then we go to, you know, come back home, which leads us to last night. A huge win over the Mavericks, 104 to 100. Two-way Whigs was in the building in a major way.

23 points on 8 for 16 and 3 for 5. I'm still pissed at Wigs. Why am I pissed at Wigs? Because Wigs came out aggressive. And then it was a couple possessions. Right after the first couple shots he missed, that he came off screen, and he was like, uh, who do I need to pass the ball?

No, you go shoot the ball. We need Wiggs scoring. We need Wiggs aggressive. The pressure he puts on the rim, the way he's been shooting the ball, lights out. And then picking, and while doing that, picking up, Luca, full court, the whole game, the entire game picking him up full court,

not switching, getting over screens, fighting, battling. And Luke is great. You know, we know how great Luke is. And Wiggs took on that challenge. and had a big game for us. Yours truly with 11, 8, 6, and 4 steals. Hey, man, that's 10 steals in two games. I feel really good about myself.

You know, it's that time of year where you kind of got to come alive. Like, it's the most fun time of year, and I love it. I love this time. Big block down the stretch. Tough play there. When you got Kyrie Irvin coming downhill at you, it's a scary sight. And not a scary sight in the sense of like, oh, Kyrie's about to take off and dunk on you. But a scary sight in the sense of like Kyrie, as I said a couple weeks ago,

Kyrie has every shot in basketball. You know, we saw the lefty running hook, right? Like, he has every shot in basketball, mid-range floater to the cup, best finisher, incredible finisher. He has every shot. And so when he's coming downhill at you with a live threat like Daniel Gaffer, what do you do? And so for me, I obviously, Obviously, you're trying to cat him off, you're trying to play too.

But with Kyrie, you kind of have to commit. Because if not, he's tricking you like you trying to trick him, and he got the ball. So ultimately, you know, what he's trying to get to, he's good enough to get to it. And so if you go back and watch the play, I had to step all the way up to stop him. But the way my feet are angled, my feet are angled as such to where I'm cutting off one side of the floor. So the side that he's going to, which if you're dribbling the ball, and you're Kyrie, it's the left side of the floor. If you're me and you're defending, it's the right side of the floor.

But I cut that whole side of the court off with my feet. So that Kai couldn't continue going that way and to essentially kind of force him back towards where Daniel Gaffert is on the baseline. Well, for me, once I see Kyrie picks up the ball and go to pass, there's no added extra movement, right? Like because of my foot position, that's just one drop step and jump. I'm jumping at the same time as Daniel Gaffer.

Now, if I'm being totally honest with you in that situation, it's Daniel Gaffert. It's not Kyrie Irvin. It's not Luca Donchage. And what I mean by that is Daniel Gaffer's a 69% free throw shooter. He's not 90 like Kyrie Erwin. And Luca, maybe 70 some percent, but it's Luca, he's not missing fritos in the clutch. And so my mindset right there is I'm helping on Kyrie and I'm giving this drop-up up to Gaffer.

Now, in order for him to get to the rim, he got to come back through me. So I understand that. But a key thing in that position is I'm in perfect position to file. And so when I go up in that moment, I'm thinking, all right, I'm jumping. I'm not giving up an A and 1. So if I don't feel like I have an advantage to affect the shot, blocked a shot, which I did, but not even necessarily blocked the shot,

affect the shot to where Daniel Gaffer has to make the shot and not a dump. If I can't do that, I'm filing. So I'm in perfect position to file, which for me is money. Once I jump, I then make the decision, oh, I can get it, right? And I get the block, get the rebound, and we're off to the races. And then, you know, down the stretch, the ball was in my hand. How about that? And, you know, made a couple of plays down the stretch to close the game out.

But really big time win for us, especially with the Rockies coming out to play, they have lost a couple in a row. And, you know, you're three games behind with seven games left, and you're losing the tiebreaker. So four games behind, in a sense, with seven to go. my math serves me correctly tomorrow will be an opportunity to end their season their playoff hopes

if my math serves me correctly maybe there will be one more game I haven't looked that up that's just some rough math for you math geniuses out there that's going to be like no they're not mathematically eliminated and you like great

almost But anyway, so looking forward to that game. Obviously, big game in Houston. We're accustomed to big games in Houston. It'll be fun. And we've got the Midi God on our side this time. So that is Chris Paul for those of you who are wondering. So definitely looking forward to that game tomorrow.

It'll be a fun game. Those young guys are playing well. Jalen Green is playing out of his mind. Looking like the Jalen Green that everybody thought was coming into the NBA when he came in. He's taking that next leap. And it is looking very prominent. So, you know, they got the vet, Freddie V running the show, a bunch of young guys getting after it. And so be a big game, fun game.

But one that I feel totally confident that we should be able to go get if we come in and play our brand of basketball. But a big time, big time win for us. And, you know, five-game wins. Street, which comes at the right time. So looking forward to that. In other news, a guy who I got respect for, and so I'm not going to sit here in like slander because I got respect for the Matrix.

Bisham, Marion, my man, my brother, you ask for it. So let's talk about it. On Club 520, shout out to Club 520. I went on Club 520. Jeff Teague and the guys. I enjoy being on Club 520, and quite frankly, our interview wasn't long enough. So maybe I'll go back one day if they'll have me back,

but that was a fun-ass podcast to do, and I enjoyed it. So we'll see. However, that's one of the great ones out there in the world of podcasts everywhere. That is one that is fun, it's funny. It's, you learn different things. Like I saw it other days talking about different roads.

Reeves, like, you get an unfiltered Jeff Teague, which nobody in the league knew they, or in the world knew they needed. But the world needs Jeff Teague and what those guys is bringing to the landscape, to the media landscape. It's absolutely incredible to watch and fun. And Sean Marion goes on, Club 520, and he says, Draymond, I think I love his tenacity, love his energy, love his heart. But I still think I was a way better defendant than him. he was. And the reason I say that is because when I had the guard, point guard

when I actually guarded you, I guarded you for the whole game. No, yeah, yeah. It wasn't no few minutes here and there or trying to spare somebody. I guarded, I locked in with you guys for the whole game. And like, most guys ain't doing that. Sure. So it's easy for, and it's way

simpler for guys to do with every possession and switch. Everybody switched now, but I mean, I can guard somebody for a quarter. It's easy to do that. Guard that guy for the whole game, though. Those guys is not doing it. I'm the only person ever, NBA history, to do that. In one playoff series on a way to my fourth championship, I guard it.

I don't even remember the first round. Who did we play in the first round? Jackson, do you remember who we played in the first round? Denver Nuggets, no Jamal Murray. Okay. So who did we play in the second round? Or was that the second round? I think that was the second round.

And then Dallas was the conference finals. Grizzlies. Ah. That's right. Ah, there it is. So in one playoff series, by the way, guys, you ever won't not winning a championship and no one cares? Like, it's hard to even remember that. So just remember that for those of you out there celebrating second places.

So in one playoff run on the way to my fourth championship, you got me, Garden Joker. Didn't shut Joker down by any stretch of imagination, but you can bet your bottom dollar makes a huge difference when you don't have to double. As you keep bodies on bodies, you neutralize the rest of the guys. Game winning still. Game still and still. That series, by no means that I lock Joker.

I'm not saying that. But I think Joker respected the defense that was played on him. Okay. Jaron Jackson, young, athletic, big who can step out and shoot the three, All-Star, Jalen Brunson. And don't tell me, oh, that was Jalen for Dallas because that same Jalen, four months later, went and took the Knicks-Boss storm. Jailen Brunson, All-Star, Jalen Brown, in the NBA finals, All-Star, those were my matchups for the series.

So to say I can guard a guy for a game, what about a series? And by the way, I don't think Sean Marion couldn't guard a guard for a series. But the proof is in the pudding and the film is right there. Need I say more? I've gone into games and guarded guards my entire career when I've needed to. So, you know, I get what he was getting at or trying to get at, but you actually got to watch the clips. Watch the film.

Don't watch the clips. Watch the film. And then what I do off the ball is a totally different thing. Not sure many people in the NBA can affect the game, how I can affect the game defensively off the ball. So with all due respect to Sean Marion and his defensive capabilities, because I, again, think Sean Marion was a great defender, it ain't only you, my man.

It is not only you. Maybe it was before me, but not since me, and it won't be after me. It ain't only you. So before you make statements like that, you got to check the tape. You got to have some facts because the facts are right there. And I don't need to go elsewhere. You know, I don't need to go to, like, at times I had to guard CJ McCullum when we were playing Portland. And times I had to guard Chris Paul when we were playing huge.

I don't need to go into all those things. I'm going just go right there. Series wins, which led to my fourth championship. So shout out to the Matrix. We'll love to have him on the show if he want to come on. No ill will here, but the facts are the facts. In other news, before we take some questions live here on the BR app, shout out to the BR team.

Joe L&B returned from a two-month absence, and he played 29 minutes, had 24, six boards, seven assists, three steals, and six turnovers. I must say I was very shocked for Joe L to come back. And the reason I was very shocked is come back in game 76 after missing 30 games or whatever that number was. and they're now 41 and 35. And I saw something last night that said

their record is 14 and 27 without Joelle. Meaning, the chances that that team is going to win a championship is very slim. And to me, some of the moves they made at the deadline was kind of like, you know what, we're throwing in the towel,

this season ain't going to work out, let's start focusing on next year. And to see Joelle come back with that big knee brace on was pretty surprising to me. Needless to say, what I do know is Joel just love playing basketball. So any chance that Joel can play basketball, he's going to play basketball. But I was pretty shocked to see Joe come back off the meniscus injury at this point in the season

where they're now in the playing spot. And like, I don't necessarily think they have the roster to compete at a high level. So it could be just kind of his way of tuning up for the Olympics. I don't know. But I was shocked by that. Nonetheless, he looked good. And obviously you can see some of his movements are off and like little ginger going this way and stopping

and different things like that, which all takes time. I did see something Joelle said in his interview, which was interesting to me. He said this would be the hardest game I had. And I disagree with that. Because when you come back from injury, to have a couple games where you like this and then you tank for like a couple two or three games because it's no longer the adrenaline right like it's not now you just playing awful and joel's

great so like maybe joel won't go through the same thing i went through and most people go through and it's not even necessarily that his game will go through that because joel's a score he's going to score to basketball but he'll fill it and so even if it doesn't show to you necessarily he'll feel it because you kind of like hit this boot and then you crash for him and then you start to level out. And so it'll be interesting to see how he's feeling, you know, moving on, you know, the next three games or so, how that starts to change and where that goes. But I was very, very surprised to see them or see him back out on the floor. Nonetheless, always great to have the greats on the floor. And so good to have Joelle back. Obviously, he brings something to

the league that's different than what anyone else brings. And, you know, he takes that team from a non-playoff team to a contender, in a sense. And so shout out to Joe. It's good to see him back. Surprise, but that's that. Before we get to the mailback question, I have to say or just speak on, Caitlin Clark, taking down LSU, coming back 41 and 12, after being a deal. defeated by that team last year,

opportunity to go back to the final four, and Caitlin came out and got it done, dominated the game, took her team back to the final four. And the question out there is, is she the best offensive player, college player ever? I mean,

I saw Steph Curry play in college. And so, you know, Steph was different. Needless to say, Caitlin is a problem. She, I know there's like this talk of Big Three and WMBA and how she's going to, she's going to be really good in the WNBA right away because the way she shoots the ball, the way she passes the ball and get everybody involved.

She's going to come in with Alia Boston, who's also going to take on double teams. And if you help off the wrong person. And then, and usually there's someone you can help off of on the team. So once you start helping off that person, if I am the Indiana fever of coach, I'm going to watch film or the Gold State Warriors. What do they do when teams double team

off non-shooters? I need to know all of these things going into the season because I need to take full advantage of Caitlin Clark and her abilities and how defense is going to react to her. And so that was great to watch. Yukon and

Yukon, we had this conversation earlier this year. Hilton Armstrong is on our staff. Rudy Gay was in Rudy Gay was in camp with us and we were talking about blue bloods. Like, who's the blue bloods in America? And he's like, you kind of blue blood. We like, hell no, Rudy,

Yukon ain't no blue blood. The reality is, if you look at the Yukon's resume, they are definitely in that blue blood territory. And if you ask me, they're still not a blue blood, but if they win this championship, y'all are blue blood. But both teams, Yukon women, Yukon men, in the Final Four, as is North Carolina state men and North Carolina state women.

I think Yukon is winning it all. The way that they're playing on the men's side, I think they're winning it all. I don't see anybody beating them. Everybody talking about they'll beat the Detroit Pistons. They'll probably beat

the depleted Detroit Pistons that's playing like seven two-way guys. I mean, seven G-League call-ups in 10 days, but the real Detroit Pistons since that was at the beginning of the season, Yukon not beating that team. Stop it.

Still the NBA and that ain't happening. But this current version, with Isaiah Stewart out and this guy out and blocked down on his trade and Alec Berks's gone and you name it, yeah, they'll probably beat those guys. Maybe not, but they got a chance. But, yes, I'm picking Yukon.

And then shout out to young Jujoo. Juju went out there at the season, got it done, 27 the game, took her team to the elite eight. Freshman, I'm looking forward to watching the face of women's hoop as this thing continue on. So shout out to Jew. Keep putting the work in, Jew. I love the emotion after the game.

It sure hurt. It sure hurt. Because next year when you up there hoisting that trophy, you look back on that moment, and you felt that pain, you went through that pain. And because you went through the pain and not around the pain, you get rewarded for that. So obviously still got to put the work in.

I have zero doubt in my mind that Jew going to put the work in. But Ju-Ju is a problem. So shout out to Jew. Great season. Also great to see Paige back out there doing what Paige does, making big shots, big moments. Absolutely lovely to see. Love to see where the women's game is going.

But shout out to them. That was super dope. Before we get out of here, Jackson, got a few questions for us. Yes, sir, I do. Let's start it out with from at Lord Flock. Hey, Jermon, not sure if you saw it, but Stefan Diggs was just traded from the bills

to the Texans for a second round pick. What is your take? Did that just happen right now? It happened like right when we started recording. Basically right when we started recording. That is fire. Stefan Diggs is a Hall of Fame wide receiver. And to get him paired up right now

with a young CJ Stroud who just took his team to the playoffs with that defense that the Texans got with that head coach. I love it. I love it. Not sure how much Stefan Diggs has left in the tank. I think Stefan Diggs has a bunch left in the tank,

but I have seen those questions on NFL talk shows, like, what does he have left in the tank and blah, blah, blah. Stefan Diggs, I think, you know, number one, he can play in a slot. So if you're playing in a slot, he can still go be dangerous there. And, you know, we know he can take the top off. So I'm looking forward to that.

I think that's fire. But what that also says is the Buffalo bills are done. Every now and then you have a window. And when that window opens, if you don't step through it, it shuts. And that's what just happened to Buffalo. They got rid of a bunch of key players. They're getting rid of,

huge weapons, and, I mean, big-time weapons. Like, so it's over for Buffalo. They were returned back to NFL purgatory and not be that good. And they'll win some games because they'll win some games. But what, as great as that is for the Texans, they just pluck the guy off of AFC team, and that AFC team is done. So that's my thoughts on that.

Not a football expert. Don't claim to be. Know a little bit about football. I love football. I watch a bunch of football. So I think I know a little bit, but that's my take. Next one from at Long Live Yellow 5. If Wigs keeps playing like this,

are we back to being a title threat? I mean, we got to get in the playoffs first, so I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves. Because we got a lot of work to do just to get into playoffs. But once we get in the playoffs, I always think we're a title threat. With the pieces that we have on the Florida experience, I don't ever doubt that we're a title threat. And Whigs playing that basketball,

wigs have to play that basketball in order for us to be that. So yes, for sure. But first things first, let's just get into playoffs first. All right, we'll do one more question, but before that, just a reminder to everyone to subscribe to the YouTube channel, YouTube.com slash at Dremont Green Show. We have an amazing interview dropping next week. You do not want to miss. Fire. I promise you do not want to miss. Absolutely. Last question from at Asia B. Can Wemby become a top five player of all time? Can Wemby become a top five player all time? I'd have such a subjective thing because you start getting into like, uh, Wilk Chamberlain or. You know, like, people start going way back on Bill Russell. And so I'm not going to sit here and talk about the top five player all the time. Like, again, with Wimby's tools and his love for the game, the sky is the lip.

Special, special, special. Can he be? Yeah, I mean, he has the tools. But that's such a far, far-fetched thing, like top five all the time. But Wimby is a problem. And as you all know, I don't really, I'm not a hater. I give credit where credits do, but it ain't easy to get credit for me. But Wimby, Wimby is a special breed.

And so can he be top five? I guess technically, yes, but what is top five, right? Like, my top five is this, your top five is that. Jackson's top five is here, and Fave's top five is over there. Like, who, what is the top five? Like, Wimby can be absolutely special. and he can be mentioned when it's all said and done. If he does it the right way, which I have no doubt he will,

he will be mentioned with the greats for sure. Top five, what is it top five? That is a wrap on this episode of the Drayvon Green Show. Always appreciate your questions when we are on here on the BR Live app. And definitely appreciate you all tuning in. If you tuned in live, thank you. If you're tuning in later, because you're getting your podcast where you get your podcast. We also thank you. We love you. We appreciate you. Until next time, it's a wrap.

Peace.